


Personal Furnace

by Howlingdawn



Category: Aquaman (2018)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Spoilers, Whump, aquaman spoilers, arthur's stubbornness comes from insecurity, because he is a big soft boi, gotta hurt the fish-boy that's just how the world works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 19:41:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17189174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Howlingdawn/pseuds/Howlingdawn
Summary: AQUAMAN SPOILERS WITHIN. Arthur is half Atlantean, which comes with all the perks - nigh-invulnerability, heightened strength and senses, and more. But he's human too, and when trying to set up an underwater life, that has its downsides.





	Personal Furnace

**Author's Note:**

> So one of my personal fave, incredibly underused tropes is ships with a notable body temperature difference, and when I realized I could reasonably headcanon that Aquamera, my newest OTP, fits that? I had to write a fic. Immediately.

The Atlantean palace – Arthur's palace now, he supposed – apparently had a gorgeous private rooftop reef. It was the highest point in the city, and Arthur found himself retreating there more and more as the weeks crawled by, turning into month after endless month, simply to sit amongst the coral and look up. Up towards his dad, towards the world and sunlight and food his duties kept him from.

"I thought I'd find you up here."

Mera floated to his side, following his gaze skyward. "You miss it."

Arthur stood, crossing his arms tightly against a shiver. He had a vast closet full of proper underwater clothing now, stuff Mera had said would protect him against the ocean's chill, but it didn't feel like it sometimes. "Yeah."

Mera rested a hand on his shoulder, and it felt like a patch of fire. "You'll be able to visit him soon."

Arthur shuffled closer to her warmth. He pressed a hand against his aching chest, missing the smell of salty sea air. "It's not just my dad," he murmured. "I have responsibilities up there too. Aquaman can't just disappear."

"And he hasn't," Mera reassured him. "You've saved plenty of stranded sailors in your time here. Don't beat yourself up for not being able to be everywhere at once."

Arthur leaned against her. "You're very wise."

"Well, opposites do attract," she teased, wrapping her arm around his waist as he spluttered. "Come on, let's get you inside, you're freezing."

He obliged, tucking against her as they swam for the warmer interior.

\-----

Mera hung onto Arthur's arm as they swam through the halls. He had always been colder than her – surface-dwellers had lower body temperatures – but she thought it was getting worse as time passed, emphasized by the fact that he wasn't pretending to be fine. Well, that could've been because it got Mera to hold him, but still. She was worried.

They drifted into his private dining room, and he tried to hide it, but she saw his face fall at the sight of more seafood. After seeing the variety that the surface world had to offer, Mera didn't really blame him. Even she missed it.

She swam forward, picking up a bottle of ale she had had imported from Xebel. It was best heated to almost intolerable temperatures, rich and sweet. Mera's first sip had been from Atlanna's glass, when the queen let her sneak a taste at an awfully boring diplomatic dinner, and she had loved it ever since.

"Here," she said, handing the bottle to Arthur. "This'll warm you up and taste good."

He took it, downing half the bottle in seconds. "Oh, that's good stuff," he said. "That's a good burn."

Mera stole the bottle back, taking a swig. "Certainly better than those flowers, right?" she prompted.

"Ah, yeah, we don't… we don't really eat flowers."

Mera choked on the ale. "What? But you-"

He shrugged cutely. "I didn't want you to feel awkward about it."

Mera handed the bottle back. "Well, thank you."

Arthur lingered over the bottle's warmth before continuing to drink. As he finished, he started coughing. She darted forward, rubbing his back. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he rasped, rubbing his chest. "Yeah, just went down the wrong pipe. I'm good. I promise," he added more softly when she kept looking at him doubtfully.

"Are you sure? Because I've been wondering, with your mixed biology-"

"I'm fine," he snapped.

Mera backed off. He pretended not to be affected by the continued half-breed comments he overheard, but she knew better. She saw the Arthur behind closed doors, working late into the night trying to memorize their customs and the history Atlanna and Vulko hadn't had time to teach him, struggling to find a way to fit in. Even as he longed for the surface, he searched for ways to tether himself down below.

But she couldn't let his health go. So she nodded at the food, telling him that she'd be back, and she swam off.

\-----

Arthur shut the door behind Mera, sagging against it in relief. His lungs burned from the water he'd just tried to cough up. He closed his eyes, inhaling shallowly, exhaling as deeply as he could manage, waiting for the attack to end. Without Mera at his side, he hugged himself, shivering.

"Damn it all to hell," he whispered to the empty room.

She was right, and he knew it. It had been subtle at first, the chill in his bones, the breathing problems. Maybe his lungs would twinge every few days, prompting a cough he could cover up, or the cold would penetrate his clothes for a second, requiring a little burst of movement people simply brushed off as him being impulsive and hyper.

But then it kept getting worse. Until the pain and cold were constant, and hiding it became next to impossible. It was one reason he tried retreating to the private reef – there was no one to watch him shiver or hear him cough. Struggling for breath in a place where he was born to breathe.

But then, that was the problem: He _wasn't_. He was half human, born and raised on land. He had always been comfortable in the water, but _comfortable_ was a far cry from perfectly adapted and used to living in the cold and dark with no proper air to breathe.

And he couldn't even admit it. He heard the whispered conversations, saw the crowds of protestors. Yes, we wielded Atlan's trident and had commanded the seven seas, but many thought it a fluke, or faked, because surely no half-breed mongrel could be so powerful, meant to rule them all?

No, to admit that he couldn't even breathe underwater was to give up the throne, the throne Mera and Vulko and Mom insisted needed him to sit on it. He couldn't let them down. He _couldn't_.

So he took a deep breath, ignoring the pain, and went to eat his dinner.

\-----

Finding Atlanna was simple. When not with her one of her sons or her husband, she spent a lot of time with Vulko, listening to his stories of the years she had missed with both of her children. And their favorite spot to do so was the observatory, a massive room with a nearly 360-degree view of Atlantis.

Sure enough, as she neared the end of the tunnel connecting it to the palace, she heard Vulko talking. "…and when I showed him how Atlanteans swim, the _first_ thing he did was go swimming with a pod of dolphins. He jumped and played with them for hours, even rode a few of the bigger ones. I don't believe I'd ever seen him happier."

Mera paused, smiling at the image of a young Arthur, joyous and carefree in the water for the first time.

_And now it's killing him._

She shook herself, swimming inside. "Queen Atlanna?"

Vulko and Atlanna turned to her. "Mera, I've told you that you can simply call me Atlanna," she reminded her gently.

Mera nodded. "My apologies. I'm just worried about Arthur."

Atlanna rose, floating closer. "What about him?"

"It's… I think it's his human half. Biologically speaking, I mean. I don't think his body is handling living underwater well. But when I tried to bring it up, he shut me down."

Atlanna furrowed her brows in concern, exchanging a glance with Vulko. "I will speak with him," she promised Mera, taking her hand and squeezing it. Then she swept past, out of the observatory, leaving Mera alone with Vulko.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Vulko assured her.

Mera crossed her arms. "But how much stress will he cause us beforehand?"

"Knowing Arthur? More than we care to handle."

\-----

Arthur was picking at a lobster when someone knocked on the door. Expecting Mera, albeit wondering why she was knocking, he called "Come in."

"I never much cared for lobster."

He straightened. "Mom! I thought you were Mera."

She smiled, drifting over. "Hoping I was Mera, more like."

He ducked his head, scratching his hair. "I don't know what you mean," he mumbled.

She reached for a slab of salmon, settling in a chair beside him. "Please, we all see how you two are. You may as well stop pretending."

"It's- it's awkward timing, with Orm and all."

Mom turned to him, resting her hand on his knee. "Never deprive yourself of joy because it's awkward. Unless you're at a funeral. Then by all means, wait for the service to end."

Arthur laughed, relaxing, managing to forget the pain. "I dunno, Mom, funerals have never been my thing. They could use some interest."

"Arthur!" she exclaimed, lightly slapping his arm as she laughed. He grinned, plucking out a large piece of lobster meat and popping it into his mouth.

"Arthur," Mom said again, but this time it was quiet, serious. He stiffened, suddenly realizing where Mera had gone and why she wasn't back. "You're sick, aren't you?"

He pulled away from her. "I'm fine."

"Arthur, we're not judging you-"

"You're not," he agreed. "But it's been hard enough for everyone else while they believe I can exist in their world. If I have to leave every few weeks or whatever to breathe _air_? They'll never accept me."

"We can lie," she pressed, staring at him insistently. "You have family, friends on the surface. Your people will understand you wishing to visit them."

"And how well did lying work for you?" he shot back.

He regretted the words instantly. She straightened up, swallowing, and it was a moment before she spoke again. "I was alone in my lie," she told him. "Just me and Vulko against the king. But you, Arthur, you _are_ the king, and you have myself, Vulko, and Mera to support you. Orm will as well, once he's freed from prison."

"I won't lie," Arthur said firmly, standing. "And I won't run from my people. Never again."

\-----

_He won't cooperate. It's a matter of belonging – a feeling he's never had. Not really._

Atlanna's words echoed in Mera's head as she hovered outside of the door to Arthur's bedroom. He wouldn't go to the surface – fine. The least she could do was warm him up. All it would take was sleeping in his big, extremely well-muscled arms…

She shook herself, lifting a hand to knock. "Arthur?"

Nothing.

She knocked again, harder. "Arthur."

Silence.

"I swear, if you're ignoring me…"

She pressed her ear to the door, listening. But still, there was silence. No movement. Not even water whooshing gently in and out of a breathing mouth.

Panic shot through her.

She kicked the door down, rushing through and darting over to where Arthur laid on his massive bed. She fumbled for a pulse, for a heartbeat, for warmth.

All she found was frozen stillness.

Shoving aside her panic, she raced back into the hallway. Spotting a guard, she grabbed him. "Have someone prepare a ship for travel, and send Vulko and Atlanna to the king's room. _Now_!"

He nodded, racing off. She spun, stopping beside Arthur. Steadying herself on his shoulder, she held her other hand over his open mouth and nose. Concentrating, she followed the path of the water down his throat and into his lungs. Carefully, she pulled it all out, gently, preventing more water from flooding in its place. As it left him, she created a small bubble of air around his head.

Finally, he stirred, sucking in a gasp of breath. He didn't wake, but it was enough to make Mera want to kiss him in relief. Part of her also wanted to scream at him, but that could wait.

"What's- _Arthur_!"

Atlanna was at his side in an instant, almost reaching through the air bubble but not quite daring to break it.

"We must get him to the ship," Vulko said, moving to lift Arthur. Mera hooked herself around him, free arm around his shoulders, legs around his waist. Atlanna took Arthur's other side, and together, they carried him to the waiting ship.

They settled him in the passenger seat, and Atlanna helped Mera into the pilot's seat. Then she programmed the lighthouse's coordinates and activated the autopilot, slipping out as the cockpit closed. The ship launched into motion, and Mera knew Atlanna and Vulko wouldn't be far behind.

She just focused on maintaining the air bubble, cradling Arthur as tightly as she dared, wary of restricting his breathing in any way.

\-----

Arthur expected waking to hurt. And it did, but it was a light, steady ache, not a stabbing pain every time he inhaled. He was even almost warm, more so on his left, because… "Mera?" he asked groggily.

Curled up on his side, arms and legs wrapped around him beneath some of the thickest blankets his dad had, she had to be roasting. But when she started awake, eyes flying wide at the sight of him, she made no move to throw them off. "Arthur?"

"…Yeah?"

A ragged sigh escaped her, and she planted a long kiss on his forehead. "Thank god," she breathed, running her fingers through his hair as if she'd thought she would never be able to again.

"…What'd I miss?"

"You _died_ , you _imbecile_ ," she said heatedly. Not quite angry, but somehow, Arthur knew he would get yelled at later. "I found you in your room, ice cold and not breathing. If I had been even a little bit later…"

He wrapped a heavy arm around her. "You weren't."

Her hand slid down to cradle his face, the base of her hand resting against the pulse point in his neck. "I will yell when you're strong enough to yell back," she assured him. "But for now, just… promise me you won't do that again."

"Die?"

"Stay underwater for longer than you can handle," she corrected sharply.

_No jokes. Ok._ "Mera…"

"No!" she said. "I know, Arthur, I know you feel like an outsider and you hate it, and you just want to be the best king you can be. But you can't be _anything_ if you're dead, ok? _Promise me_."

He looked at her for a moment, at the wobbling lip she was trying to hide, at the tear shimmering in the corner of her eye. As it started to fall, he gently wiped it away. "I promise, Mera."

She searched his eyes for a moment, as if searching for a hint of dishonesty. Finally, she nodded, resting her forehead against his. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Now get out of the blankets, you must be melting under there."

In response, she latched onto him more tightly. "You're still too cold, even for you."

"Is this you agreeing to be my personal furnace from now on?"

"Only if you don't ruin it."

Arthur grinned, shifting to more fully embrace her. "No guarantees."

She groaned, but a smile played across the corners of her lips.

"Arthur!"

"Aw, they're cuddling."

He reluctantly lifted his head to see his parents and Vulko. Mom hurried to his side, fussing with the blankets, while Dad and Vulko looked upon them with mischief in their eyes. "Nice job, son," Dad said.

Mera narrowed her eyes at him, unsure what to make of the comment.

"Pops, _no_."

He came over, leaning down to kiss the top of Arthur's head. "I'm only teasing, son. Come, Atlanna, let's leave them to rest."

"But-"

"He's fine now, Atlanna," Mera reassured her. "I've got him."

Mom's fussing finally eased. "Yes, you do," she murmured, her hand lingering on Arthur's hair. "All right. But if you need _anything_ -"

"Atlanna," Vulko said gently.

She pursed her lips, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Finally, she let Dad lead her away, Vulko closing the door behind them. Arthur turned back to Mera. "Where were we again?"

"Oh, shush," she grumbled. "Wait, no, don't, it's weird."

"So you like my jokes then?"

" _What_ did I say about ruining it?"

Arthur chuckled, snuggling more securely against her and her warmth.


End file.
